How Potter Saved Draco Again
by often-astray
Summary: Draco is sure that he is going to Azkaban. Harry Potter has different plans in mind.


**Title:** How Potter Saved Draco... Again  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>PairingCharacters:** H/D, Narcissa, Minor OC  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Pre-slash, (little bit of) Drama  
><strong>Words:<strong> 1782  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Some language  
><strong>Beta:<strong> The lovely tavi_face57! I heart you, bb!  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Harry Potter is owned by JKR + affiliates  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Draco is sure that he is going to Azkaban. Harry Potter has different plans in mind.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This is a product of a vote I took quite a while ago. I had three basic ideas for a fic and asked my flist to vote for their favorite one, so thank you meglw0228, valinorean, nimielle, and 13_fox_gloves. This won out over the others and I finally figured out where I wanted to take it. As it developed, I wanted to focus on Draco wanting to do the Gryffindor thing and Harry bringing his hidden Slytherin to the fore. Harry does everything for a reason, if you look close you'll see his manipulations.

* * *

><p>The usual sounds filled the stifling air of the courtroom: coughs were muffled, quills tapped, feet shuffled impatiently and papers crinkled. It all sounded unnaturally loud, echoing through the humid air and somehow made it difficult to ignore the pervasive heat. Apparently the cooling wards had seen fit to fall apart themselves today. Always had been a finicky bit of magic, thought Draco.<p>

It didn't help that the relatively small room (as courtrooms go, anyway) was packed wall to wall with wizards and witches eager to see the disgraced Malfoy heir brought to his knees and sent to Azkaban. The whole of Britain seemed to be out for his head. The crowd of ill-wishers whispered about him behind their hands as they waited for Draco's turn in the trial rotation.

Narcissa Malfoy had, just a half hour earlier, been declared guilty of aiding and abetting a murdering psychopath and sentenced to five years house arrest. In the brief rest the Wizengamot had taken, Draco had been able to speak to his mother about their inevitable fates.

"Chin up, Draco," she'd said as she gently lifted his head from his grim thoughts and bestowed a kiss on his forehead. The action calmed him slightly, as she knew it would. "We have an unexpected ally." The cryptic statement surprised Draco, but she was being escorted to the floo before he could muster any sort of response. It had been years since he had seen such a self-assured and content expression grace her delicate features. Draco didn't want to get his hopes up, but it was hard to resist in the face of his mother's encouragement. If she thought that there was even a glimmer of a chance for him...

The doors banged opened and the audience stood for the procession of the Wizengamot. Everyone sat again when an elder woman named Matilda Guald motioned and after a few minutes of introducing the pivotal members Draco's trial began.

"I have one Draco Malfoy Versus Magical Britain on my list," she adjusted her rectangle reading glasses and stared at the squirming boy trying to look as innocent as possible. Madame Gauld gave a little sigh and looked back to her papers.

"Mr. Malfoy here has been charged with aiding and abetting known Death Eaters; use of the dark arts, specifically the Cruciatus and Imperious curses and three counts attempted murder, premeditated. What say you, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco's mind flickered through the past few years before he could stop himself and knew he would have to confess. Not just because it was all true, but because the suffocating ball of guilt in his chest demanded he be held accountable. It wasn't logical, he knew that he'd had no choice if he wanted to live past that first month that the Dark Lord had taken up residence in his house, but that didn't prevent his meals curdling in his stomach or stop the nightmares that haunted him.

"Mr. Malfoy."

He jerked a little and focused back on his judge and jury and opened his mouth to answer but didn't even have enough time to take a fortifying breath before the doors slammed open once again.

"I apologize for the interruption, but I'd like to say a few words, if it would please the Wizengamot."

Every single person gasped (some screamed outright) and spun around to stare at the unexpected presence of the Saviour. Some even tried to clamour over the short divide before the Aurors present pushed them back and shot harmless sparks at them. Draco was quite too busy staring at Potter to notice.

The resolute man walked forward with confidence draped around him like that damned cloak he used to sneak around with. His hands were neatly held behind his back and his eyes never once turned his direction. Madame Gauld let out a more forceful sigh than before and dropped her papers to lean back in her seat.

"Mr. Potter, I assure you, there was no need for the dramatic entrance. A simple note would have sufficed." A little half smile of indulgence was granted and Potter, the suck up, offered a modest bow of acknowledgement.

"Well, since you have decided Mr. Malfoy's case would benefit from your presence, you may have the floor."

"Thank you Madame, honoured Wizengamot," Potter took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "I would like to confess to a few things, get them off my chest." Quite a few heads nodded indulgently and the idiot Gryffindor charged ahead as he normally did.

"I plead guilty to Malfoy's charges."

Draco hadn't thought that the crowd could have gotten any more out of control than before, but the Aurors on duty were forced to jinx quite a few people to maintain their control over the hysterical mass. When the people were once again quiet, Gauld spoke.

"Mr. Potter, do you mean to say you speak for Mr. Malfoy..." she began but Potter was shaking his head and continued in his Saviour voice, full of pride and authority. Draco would be more impressed if Potter's ploy actually worked.

"I have to say before I begin, that I believe Malfoy is a victim in this. He was coerced and framed and mislead into the choices he's made for the past few years, choices he made to try and protect his friends and family from Voldemort.

"If you want to send him to Azkaban for doing what he needed to survive and save his family, then put me in the cell next to him because I did the same." Potter made little motions with his hands as he began to warm to his speech. He still hadn't faced anyone but Madame Gauld.

"In my fifth year at Hogwarts I was prone to accidentally reaching through the bond Voldemort and I shared and saw my godfather being tortured and the stupid kid I was back then raced to the Ministry to save him. To make a long story short, Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. She ran. I followed and when no one was around I cast the Cruciatus Curse on her. Come to think of it, I cast the Imperious curse quite a few times during the past year as well."

Draco couldn't hear a single sound in the courtroom as Potter let a dramatic pause echo, but the cooling wards had decided to start working again. A shiver raced through him as the cold air chilled the sheen of sweat over his body.

"People have thanked me, given me gifts and praise for killing Voldemort. I would be the first person to scream from the rooftops that he was evil and insane and the worst human being the world has recently seen. But, he was human. And I killed him." At this point Potter was pacing and swinging his arms emphatically, perhaps in an attempt to appeal to the whole room. Draco thought it just made him look like an epileptic. Not that he minded, Potter could snog everyone in the room for all he cared, as long as Potter's monologue kept working. Including Draco.

And it really was working, Draco saw. People were entranced by Potter's tale and quite a few looked at him in sympathy and understanding.

He pointed at Draco suddenly and continued in a scratchy, breathless voice. "Yes Malfoy tried to kill Dumbledore, and yes he almost did it, but I know that he never once came close to succeeding. I plotted for close to fourteen months how to kill Voldemort. When I faced him that last time, I cast the spell that caused him to die.

"I did it to save everyone I love, and people I have never met before. I don't regret that I won this war by using some underhanded means and I sure as all hell don't regret killing Voldemort. But I would be ashamed of my culture if you vilify Malfoy for trying to stay alive the only way he knew how."

The pacing and arm waving stopped and Harry stood directly in front of Draco and looked him in the eye for the first time. Draco didn't know what he was supposed to see when they stared at each other and he didn't know what Potter saw either, but somehow the years of animosity and rivalry between them melted away and a sort of understanding was left to fill the gap. Somehow, in the face of that understanding Draco felt a little bit of weight lifted from his chest. That was nice.

"I think that Malfoy will have to live with his choices and that's enough punishment for anyone.

"Thank you for your time," Potter murmured and turned to give another little bow. He walked out of the courtroom before anyone could think to question him.

...oO0Oo...

Draco stared a bit at the breakfast sitting before him. The Manor elves had outdone themselves once more in their excitement. He thought perhaps the elves were just as happy to have their home back as Draco was to be in it, instead of... the alternative. He'd take house arrest over Azkaban any day.

"Master Draco, sir?" The words came from his knee and Draco looked to see one of the elves.

"Yes?"

"Harry Potter is being at the front door, sir." A squeak that most assuredly didn't not come from Draco was heard and he jumped from his chair. He hurried to the door and felt the illogical urge to smooth down his robes and make sure his hair was perfect.

What had happened to him that he felt the need to primp. For Potter of all people! Draco huffed out an impatient breath and quickened his gait. When he yanked the door open he was greeted with Potter offering him a half-smile and unceremoniously holding out his old wand. Draco was so surprised that he didn't hesitate in taking it and jumped at the shock that went through his arm and connected with _something_ in him. He swallowed thickly.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Potter nodded once and turned to leave.

"Wait! Potter!"

_What the...?_

Potter looked over his shoulder at him.

"My... mother would like to extend an invitation to dinner. I was just about to owl you, but since you've showed up here -unannounced I might add, have you no manners at all?- I might as well tell you now." Well, Potter just looked stuck up, with that amused, handsome, condescending smile on his face and he cursed his thrice damned mouth for speaking without his permission.

"I'd like that," he heard and now Potter was holding out his hand to him. "See you later, Malfoy."

Draco shook his hand because apparently Potter wasn't going to leave until he did, and if they held on for a little bit longer than necessary, it was through no fault of Draco's. Not at all.


End file.
